The object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for handling a material in a pneumatic pipe transport system.
The invention relates generally to materials handling systems, such as to partial-vacuum conveying systems, more particularly to the collection and moving of wastes, such as to the moving of household wastes.
Systems wherein wastes are moved in piping by means of a pressure difference or suction are known in the art. In these, wastes are moved long distances in the piping by sucking. It is typical to these systems that a partial-vacuum apparatus is used to bring about a pressure difference, in which apparatus a partial vacuum is achieved in the transfer pipe with partial-vacuum generators, such as with vacuum pumps or with an ejector apparatus. A transfer pipe typically comprises at least one valve means, by opening and closing which the replacement air coming into the transfer pipe is regulated. Refuse chutes are used in the systems at the material input end, into which refuse chutes material, such as waste material, is input and from which refuse chutes the material to be transferred is transferred into a transfer pipe by opening a discharge valve means, in which case, by means of the sucking effect achieved by means of the partial vacuum acting in the transfer pipe and also by means of the surrounding air pressure acting via the refuse chute, material such as e.g. waste material packed into bags, is transferred from the refuse chute into the transfer pipe. The pneumatic waste transfer systems in question can be utilized particularly well in densely populated urban areas. These types of areas have tall buildings, in which the input of wastes into a pneumatic waste transfer system is performed via a refuse chute arranged in the building.
The refuse chute is a vertical pipe, preferably comprising a number of input points, which are typically arranged in the wall of the refuse chute at a distance from each other. Tall buildings can comprise many tens, even hundreds, of storeys, in which case the refuse chute forms a very high pipe.
Wastes are pneumatically transferred in a closed system to a reception station, in which the wastes are compressed with a press only after transportation. The pipes of a pneumatic transfer system are in normal cases rather large in diameter, e.g. in the region of 500 mm in their diameter.
Also known in the art are solutions, wherein a waste mill, such as a waste grinder, with which the wastes to be input are ground into small size, is arranged in connection with or in the proximity of a waste input location. A waste mill grinds wastes but does not compress the wastes. In the solution in question the blades of waste mills are also subjected to large stressing, in which case they must be replaced often.
Publication WO8203200 A1 discloses a device for fine-grinding, compressing and outputting a high-volume bulk good, more particularly household wastes, by means of which device waste material conducted through the device can be compacted.
The aim of the present invention is to achieve a new type of solution in connection with refuse chutes, by means of which solution the drawbacks of prior art solutions are avoided.